How to Determine Your Look
Central Casting Background Actors have the opportunity to be booked in a variety of roles, like stormtroopers in The Mandalorian, 1960s mobsters in Godfather of Harlem, college students in Tell Me Lies, and rock fans in Daisy Jones & The Six. The key to getting cast involves more than just responding to messages, it’s also about knowing your look. Once you have a handle on that, you’ll know what jobs you’re right for and increase your chances of being booked.
What is a look?
Your look refers to your appearance and your ability to portray a role. Wardrobe is used to enhance a look, but you should be able to convincingly portray a role without it. For example, throwing on a flannel and a beanie doesn’t automatically make you a convincing hipster.
Your look can depend on a variety of factors, like hairstyle, facial hair, piercings, and whether or not you have tattoos. Next time you make a change to your appearance, remember that your look may have changed as well.
How to figure out your look
When determining your look, it’s important to remember that Casting Directors book their projects based off the aesthetic of the production. So being a doctor in real life doesn’t mean you fit that production’s idea of a doctor. That’s why it’s crucial to read messages and job posts carefully to ensure you fit the description.
If you’re not sure of your look, ask your friends and family, people who you trust to be honest about the roles you can portray. You may think you can pull off 18-to-look-younger, but if your friends don’t, those may not be the type of roles you want to pursue.
Add photos to your online profile
One of the best ways to show Casting Directors your current look is to always keep the photos in your online profile up to date. This is especially important if your main profile photo no longer accurately reflects what you look like. While you cannot delete the photo taken by Central Casting, we encourage you to upload new photos as your look changes. Even if the change is minor, like trimming your hair, the smallest details can matter to a Casting Director.
Don’t forget to also add photos showing your unique and distinct looks and of yourself in wardrobe you own. Adding these photos not only helps Casting Directors visualize you in a role, but offer reference if you have the ability to change your appearance. Keep in mind that you only need to add one photo for each look. For example, you may have multiple business options, but you only need to upload a photo in one outfit. Multiple photos only clutter your online profile.
How to find jobs with your look
There are many ways to find background work with Central Casting. The first step is to make sure the look information, like sizes, height, weight, and other appearance details in your profile are accurate. We use the information in your profile when booking our projects, so the more thorough you are when adding appearance information, the more likely you are to show up in searches for roles you fit.
When sending availability inquiries through our casting platform, Casting Directors may ask additional questions to make sure your current look fits the requirements of the role. Please be honest when answering as you will be expected to show up to set with the look described in the message.
You can also search our Jobs page for background, Stand-In, double, and other opportunities. In their job posts, Casting Directors leave specific instructions for what they’re looking for, like sizes, portrayable age, portrayable ethnicity, and any wardrobe requirements. Please read these posts carefully and submit according to the instructions.
Want to learn more ways to help yourself get booked by Central Casting? Follow the tips in How to Get Cast with Your Hairstyle and Do’s and Don’ts for Submitting Photos to Casting Directors to get on set of your favorite movies and TV shows.
